1. Role in the Current Meta

Reinhardt, for the first time, is no longer the prime choice to fill the
tank role in every situation. With dive compositions becoming so incredibly
potent in the current meta and Orisa being given a number of buffs,
Reinhardt simply does not have a role on as many teams. On the attacking side,
Winston has become a replacement for Reinhardt, comboing perfectly with
either D.Va or Zarya to ensure priority targets die quickly. You
will still see Reinhardt picked to counter certain defence compositions that
require a mobile shield to push with. For defence, Reinhardt still holds a
strong possible position, but this has been challenged by Orisa in the recent
patch changes. He is no longer a go-to, guaranteed pick on defence.

On control maps, Reinhardt suffers somewhat due to his lack of
mobility. Maps such as Ilios: Well or Ilios: Lighthouse make him an incredibly
easy target for heroes like Lúcio or Pharah.

2. Reinhardt Synergies

Reinhardt acts as the strongest anchor tank in Overwatch. This is mainly due to
his ability to move his Barrier Field, despite Orisa actually
blocking more damage over time. He protects key damage dealers, such as
Soldier: 76 and Bastion, while still being able to change position
as required. For healers, but most notably Ana, Reinhardt is a perfect
target for charging your ultimate as well as unleashing it. He is a big target
that can feed healing to your supports, while still ensuring he stays safe when
in danger by putting his shield up. Both Mei and Orisa are well suited
to pair with Reinhardt on any choke point, since they both allow him time to
recharge his shield and prevent the enemy team diving during that downtime.

3. Reinhardt Counters

Reinhardt is an excellent tank, but once his shield is down, he essentially
becomes a big training target. Characters that can either displace Reinhardt,
such as Doomfist, Pharah or Junkrat, or stun/interrupt
him, such as McCree and Sombra, can cause serious issues for
your team. Those few seconds of shieldless fighting can be enough for an enemy
to make a pick on your team. In more one-on-one focused scenarios,
Reaper is a huge issue for Reinhardt, especially with his new ability,
The Reaping. Tracer is just as problematic, given her ability to
simply kite you.

4. Reinhardt Is Strong Against

Reinhardt's Barrier Field is a huge part of his kit and essentially
renders snipers useless, given that you position yourself well. A well placed
shield can ensure that an enemy Widowmaker or Hanzo will be
unable to get picks on your supports, allowing them to freely heal your team.
His shield is equally effective against heroes such as Soldier: 76 and
Torbjörn, who both rely on sustained damage to finish off enemies. By
simply hiding behind your shield, your team can apply pressure on them and the
turret, ensuring they are dealt with quickly.

5. Reinhardt TL;DR Tips

You are the driving force of your team. Make sure you are on the front lines, directing your team's focus and push.

Be vocal about your barrier health. If it is about to break (below 750 HP), let your team know so that they can move out of the way and are not taken by surprise.

Make sure you know the positions of the enemy before using your Charge. It can easily end up killing you and allowing your enemy to push the choke point without you there.

When swinging your hammer, turn your camera from side to side to ensure that you hit people as soon as possible.

Position yourself in front of your damage dealers on high ground so that they can take full advantage of it. Only drop down to fight when necessary to save the point.

Pay close attention to enemy abilities and their cooldowns, such as Roadhog's Chain Hook. Never drop your shield to Fire Strike if you might endanger your teammates.

About our Author

Blainie is a Grand Master Support and Tank player, with a focus on analysis
of gameplay and the meta surrounding Overwatch. He regularly streams his ranked
games on Twitch, where he can answer
any questions you may have about the game or guides.